Blog post: Electricity consumption is growing – we need clean solar energy

We are in the midst of a green transition which, contradictorily, is driven by a dramatic increase in electricity consumption and for which more efficient production of renewable energy is a sustainable solution. The obvious hero of my blog on this topic is solar energy – something I have worked with at Norelco for about three years. 

The endless sun – an abundant source of free energy also in Finland

In Finland, there is a debate from time to time on how solar energy could be systematically utilised in these latitudes. However, we have pretty much the same amount of sunshine here as in, for example, Germany or Denmark, and in Finland the efficiency of solar panels is higher thanks to cold weather. We must also note that the storage and further processing of solar energy have advanced, too, and bear in mind that the intention is not to build energy production on one alternative only. 

Industrial-scale solar power plants speeding up development

The need for low-emission electricity is growing at an increasing pace. This trend is further driven by industry’s efforts to significantly cut emissions. In addition to industry, demand for electricity is fuelled by the manufacture of products from hydrogen and electricity, and by heating and transport. 

Right now we need industrial-scale action to transition away from the use of polluting energy sources. Finland has already developed a fairly good understanding of solar power generation “at an industrial scale”. At Norelco, examples of this include, among other things, Helen’s solar farm in Nurmijärvi and co-operation with Oomi. 

The way I see it, industrial-scale solar power plant projects have brought both clarity and momentum to the green transition. And the timing couldn’t be better: Finland has high-end technology for implementing solar farm electricity production and distribution. 

Norelco has expertise and proven technology for efficiently harnessing energy

A solar power plant consists of modular structures: panels, electrotechnology and infrastructure. The required electrotechnology is reliable, so called “conventional technology”, but how it is applied continues to be developed. 

Industrial-scale solar farms can, also as far as electrification is concerned, be designed as modular units where capacity and the power distribution units are divided into units of a specific size. Modularity brings cost-effectiveness to a solar power plant, in terms of construction, maintenance and production alike. 

Using Norelco’s solutions, the power distribution units can be implemented, for example, as 5-megawatt blocks. This avoids excessive cable distances and reduces electrical losses. A power distribution system based on a modular design also means that the surface area of the solar farm can be efficiently increased by “replicating”, one unit at a time. 

As I wrote above, it does sound conventional. At Norelco, we have often come to realise that while efficient and safe solutions have already been tried and tested elsewhere, it always pays to think outside the box when applying them. 

Securing a future that works

Technological development often has concrete goals, such as improving cost-effectiveness and delivery reliability. Building a sustainable future poses new challenges and questions for us, some of which have not even taken shape yet. 

This is what makes working with the green transition so motivating and the setup so interesting: how can we look past preconceived ideas and use our inventiveness when developing new solutions? I think that right now, it’s time for us to find answers to this important question together.

Juha Hakkarainen, tel. 050 525 5307 or juha.hakkarainen@norelco.fi